A. Welcome Jenna Thompson!
The IRC Volunteer Program team is excited to welcome Jenna as its newest team member.
Jenna will be working as our new Program Coordinator. Her primary responsibility will be coordinating the scheduling and publishing of IRC-led activities, as well as providing support and guidance to volunteers and staff within the Volunteer Program. Jenna comes to IRC with a diverse background and a lot of outdoor recreation experience. Her previous experience includes working at Pali Institute as the Assistant Director of Outdoor Education where she ran a high-volume outdoor education program servicing thousands of students annually and working with 100+ staff. She has lots of experience juggling multiple projects, timelines and personalities which makes her a perfect fit for this position!
Jenna will be out and about on IRC-led activities over the next few months and looks forward to meeting volunteers.
Jenna can be reached at jthompson@irconservancy.org or activityoperations@irconservancy.org.
She will be in Building B with the Volunteer Program team. You are welcome to stop by and say hello!
B. OCFA Open House
On Saturday, March 15, the Orange County Fire Watch program hosted an outreach booth at the annual Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Open House. It was a fun event for both the Fire Watch volunteers staffing the booth as well as the public.
Thanks to Renalynn Funtanilla, OC Fire Watch Program Coordinator for creating this great photo collage. Also a big thank you to Fire Watch volunteers who staffed the event: Axel Castillo Jimenez, Noma Bates, Rock Bruno, and John Marzich.
C. Emergency Protocols
We’ve recently updated our IRC Emergency Communication Guide. In it you’ll find protocols, communication tips, and various tips on how to communicate your location in case of an emergency. You can also find this info in your IRC Volunteer Manual on pages 10-13.
Activity Leads/Docents will take the lead if the need arises, but all volunteers should be aware of these protocols.
A. Emergency Communication Order of Protocol
If there is threat of life or fire (requiring an ambulance, police, or fire department):
- Call (or text) 911 / Address the issue
- Notify Landowner
- Notify IRC Volunteer Program Manager or contact After-Hours Staff Number
Urgent but non-life threatening:
- Notify Landowner/ Address the issue
- Notify IRC Volunteer Program Manager or contact After-Hours Staff Number
IN BOTH CASES, AFTER THE INCIDENT: Follow up: activityoperations@irconservancy.org and complete and submit ‘Accident/Incident Report Form.’
CLICK HERE FOR THE IRC EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS GUIDE
B. How Do I Communicate My Location in an Emergency?
When communicating with dispatch services, in addition to knowing how to describe your location by communicating your 1) general location, trail name, and nearest trail junction and then asking if dispatch would like your 2) OCFA grid number and quadrant (emergency access maps) you can now also ask the dispatch if they would like your ‘what3words’ address.
What’s ‘what3words?’
The what3words app divides the world into 3 meter squares and gives each square a unique combination of three words (For ex: table.chair.spoon). Using what3words does not aim to replace existing volunteer emergency communication strategies but is an additional resource. (See last page of the IRC Emergency Communications Guide.)
